- University of Sheffield-led researchers have launched a new project to help readers fall back in love with the works of Ann Radcliffe - a pioneer of Gothic literature
- Radcliffe - whose writing inspired the likes of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, the Shelleys, Byron, Austen and Scott - was once a central figure in English literature, read across the world and considered by some critics as better than Shakespeare at creating a sense of terror and suspense
- Despite her huge success in the late 18th century, Radcliffe is now relatively unknown and not well read beyond academic circles
- On the 260th anniversary of Radcliffe’s birth, the Sheffield-led project is set to bring the works of ‘the great enchantress’ to a new generation of readers
260 years on from her birth, Ann Radcliffe, the English novelist whose writing firmly established the Gothic literature genre, could be making a return to people’s bookshelves as part of a project led by researchers at the University of Sheffield.
The initiative, headed by Professor Angela Wright from Sheffield’s School of English and Professor Michael Gamer from the University of Pennsylvania, is set to bring the works of Ann Radcliffe - which inspired the likes of Jane Austen, Mary Shelley and the Brontë sisters - to a new generation of readers.
Born in Holborn, London on 9 July 1764, Radcliffe published five novels in her lifetime, however it was the success of The Mysteries of Udolpho - the story of a young woman kidnapped by a heartless villain and forced to endure the terrors of the Castle of Udolpho - that saw her popularity skyrocket in the 1790s.
Contemporary reviewers compared Radcliffe to Shakespeare, with some hinting at the idea that she might be better than the bard at creating a sense of terror and suspense.
Such was the love for her writing that Radcliffe’s later works were almost instantly pirated, as well as being translated, abridged, adapted and reissued for readers around the world. They were sought out by some of the major publishers of the 1790s - commanding remarkable sums. For example, publishers bought Udolpho for £500 when at the time authors were generally selling their manuscripts for an average of £10.
Through the huge popularity of her writing, Radcliffe became a central figure in British literature in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and firmly established the Gothic as a literary genre - one of the most popular genres in world literature today.
However, despite her success and lasting legacy, Radcliffe is now relatively unknown and her novels are not widely read outside of academic circles. The project, led by the University of Sheffield, and sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), is aiming to change this by publishing her complete works as well as producing a new series of podcasts, public lectures and outreach programmes with schools.
Professor Angela Wright, Professor of Romantic Literature at the University of Sheffield, said: “Ann Radcliffe was one of the highest-paid authors of the 18th century, receiving remarkable sums for her later works The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Italian. Her popularity continued into the Victorian period, too. Why she faded into relative obscurity in the 20th century is intriguing, but this project seeks to reinstate her at the heart of Gothic and Romantic literary culture, by producing the first major edition of her works and acknowledging her major influence upon those authors, such as Jane Austen and Walter Scott, who followed in her wake.
“Radcliffe’s works strike a perfect balance between serious considerations of the role of women, and ownership of property in the late 18th century. Above all, though, they are a brilliant read, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you read them.”
The researchers will oversee the production of The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ann Radcliffe, a major new edition of her complete works. The eight volumes will be published between 2025-28, and will also appear in a more accessible paperback format, from 2026 onwards.
An accompanying volume, Ann Radcliffe in Context, is also set to be published and will highlight the conditions that made her distinctive in the period 1789-1826 as well as some of the challenges that come with editing and reading Radcliffe in the 21st century.
Professor Wright teaches Radcliffe’s novels to English literature students at the University of Sheffield and has a number of PhD students researching Radcliffe’s life and work.
Dr Rosie Whitcombe, AHRC-sponsored Research and Innovation Associate, explains why the works of Radcliffe were so well read at the time: “Radcliffe was instrumental in popularising the Gothic as a literary genre and was considered, by many, to be a genius writer. Her work was regularly celebrated by critics and used to measure the skill of other writers, and her success inspired an array of imitators. Her influence can be felt in the works of her Romantic and Victorian predecessors, too: each of the major Romantic poets and writers paid her homage, and she provided inspiration for Victorian writers, from the Brontë sisters to Edgar Allan Poe.
“Though she is lesser known outside academic circles, lots of amazing scholarship has been undertaken to ensure Radcliffe is read into the future, and Ann Radcliffe, Then and Now, will continue to amplify the importance and brilliance of Radcliffe’s work.”
Among those who are familiar with Radcliffe’s work, she is often referred to as the ‘Mother of the Gothic’, however the Sheffield researchers feel that this association with motherhood isn’t quite right.
Samiha Begum, a PhD student at the University of Sheffield, explains why she feels Radcliffe is the ‘Mistress of the Gothic’. Samiha said: “Radcliffe’s power and influence over the Gothic genre succeeded in labelling her as the mistress of the Gothic - her use of the sublime within her writing is just incredibly effective in creating terror and horror among readers. Thanks to Radcliffe, other authors like Regina Maria Roche and Eliza Parsons gained immense popularity with readers of the Gothic.”
To celebrate Women’s History Month, academics and students working on Radcliffe created a video exploring who Ann Radcliffe was and what made her works stand out.
The AHRC-sponsored project, Ann Radcliffe, Then and Now, is led by Michael Gamer and Angela Wright.
Project co-leads are Katrina O’Loughlin from Brunel University, Deborah Russell from the University of York, and Dale Townshend from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Editorial team members are Elizabeth Bobbitt from the University of York, Tom Duggett from Xi'an Jiaotong–Liverpool University, Robert Miles from the University of Victoria. Rosie Whitcombe, from the University of Sheffield, is the project’s Research and Innovation Associate. More information on the project.
